- Yes
- No
MAS 440 (1942?)
The Baglietto type 1934 submarine chasers were built in the years 1934-1935.
Compared to other MAS vessels, the Baglietto type 1934 subchasers were much slower and featured a powerful cannon armament in their later refit.
MAS 438, 440 and 441 in their as-built configuration
History of MAS 438-441
Built by Cantieri Baglietto in Varazze between 1934 and 1935, this class of four vessels was initially designed as hydrophone training ships. They were powered by two 230 HP engines originally purchased for the “MAS - ELCO” motorboats. The new MAS boats adopted the dimensions and external lines of these older ELCO designs, resulting in a distinct hull shape compared to previous Italian MAS designs.
Initially, the boats were equipped with a single 13.2 mm machine gun in addition to depth charges, but later in their operational service, their cannon armament was upgraded with a 40 mm autocannon and an 8 mm machine gun.
The four submarine chasers were commissioned between November 1, 1934, and May 2, 1935, and they primarily performed anti-submarine duties throughout World War II. Notably, MAS 440 was supposedly used in June 1942 to transport Benito Mussolini from Rimini to meet the newly commissioned flagship battleship Roma during its maiden transfer from Trieste to Taranto. On June 1, 1943, due to their age and wear, the vessels were reclassified as “MAS a Efficienza ridotta” (MAS with reduced efficiency) and renamed ME 38, ME 39, ME 40, and ME 41.
- ME 38 - decommissioned and broken up for scrap on 01/07/1950
- ME 39 - sank on 05/08/1946, near Cape Miseno as a result of a fire
- ME 40 - decommissioned on 05/09/1949 and on 06/07/1949 transferred to the USSR as war reparations. It was commissioned by the Black Sea Fleet as TK-979 torpedo boat, where after a few months of service, it was broken up for scrap on 03/10/1949
- ME 41 - decommissioned and broken up for scrap on 01/07/1950
Baglietto type 1934, as built
Why I’m proposing her?
Currently, Italy lacks a premium tier II coastal vessel. While gameplay-wise it would be identical to the MAS 441 currently present in the game, which has already proven to be a very good and highly effective gunboat, it holds historical significance due to its rumored role in transporting Benito Mussolini to the battleship Roma in 1942.
General specifications (after refit)
- Displacement : 38,8 t. (as built)
- Full length : 22,5 m.
- Draught : 1,40 m.
- Breadth : 4,30 m.
- Machinery : 2x 230 h. p. petrol engines.
- Max speed : 16 knots.
- Complement : 9. (as built)
Armament and equipment
- 1x1 40/39 Vickers-Terni
- 1x1 8 mm Breda 1937
- 5x tipo 50/1917 depth charges
Sources
https://www.bagliettonavy.com/en/heritage/
https://www.anb-online.it/?p=3050
https://navyworld.narod.ru/MAS.htm